 Eighty years ago, Marines and sailors here on Wake Island, in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, were outmanned and outgunned. But their spirited defense of this ground proved that America would never fold or falter. The gunners of Battariel used their six inch coastal defense guns with amazing skill and accuracy, hitting the enemy flagship, Yabari, eleven times, and sinking the lead destroyer, Hayate. It was the first Japanese surface ship to be sunk in World War II. In the sky, Captain Henry Elrod became the first Marine to score air-to-air victories in the war. Then he became the first American pilot to sink a warship with small caliber bombs. But every Marine is a rifleman at heart. And after his plane could no longer fly, Captain Elrod helped lead the ground defense and tell his death, earning the Medal of Honor. These stories are our legacy. These examples are your challenges to meet and sustain this commitment of service above self in all you do. During my time as the 77th Secretary of the Navy, I have seen you live up to this history and add your own chapter to the long chain of those who have served before and those who will serve in your wake. From the sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman and aboard USS Nimitz, to the Marines guarding NATO's northern flank in Norway, to the aviators sharpening their edge in Pensacola, the Submariners in Kings Bay, and our civilian shipmates from Norfolk to Bahrain to Alaska, I've had the honor of witnessing your service. I leave this office more confident than ever in the readiness and power of our force. We are making the investments in the platforms, capabilities and facilities to keep the American people and our allies and partners safe for decades to come from threats here in the Pacific and beyond. But that's not what inspires me. The proof that we will never fail or falter in the face of adversity is what I have seen in each of you. I've looked in the eyes of the firefighters who battled the flames on USS Bonhomer Shard. I've met trailblazers like our first female drill instructors and I've bumped elbows with healthcare professionals on the front lines of COVID-19. I've had frank conversations with enlisted personnel about our ongoing struggles with racial injustice, sexual assault and suicide. And I've seen our newest sailors and Marines step forward to raise their right hand and pledge their sacred honor to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. There's a reason the Navy and Marine Corps have stood the test for nearly two and a half centuries. And it has very little to do with who occupies the office of the Secretary of the Navy. As it was here on Wake Island in 1941, and as it remains today, our greatest strength will always be our people. Live up to that legacy, keep your commitment, look out for each other, as well as our partners across the Joint Force and our allies. Demonstrate our core values of honor, courage, commitment and respect at all times, whether anyone is looking or not. As we pipe ashore this final time, after 31 years in uniform and now following my service as Secretary, my wife Melissa and I wish you and your families fair winds and following seas in all that you do, both in service and beyond. Semper Fidelis, Semper Fortis and thank you all. This has truly been the greatest honor of my life.